Cops: Palatine man sexually assaulted girl, 12

A Palatine man was being held in lieu of $300,000 bail after he was charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he had met at a school bus stop, police said today.

Jorge Horijuela, 25, of the 1500 block of North Norway Lane, was charged June 24 with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, Cook County sheriff's police said today in a statement.

Police started investigating Horijuela after the girl's mother complained of harassing phone calls in late May, the statement said.

When an officer went to the girl's home, he noticed bruising on her neck. The girl told him the bruises were "hickeys" given by Horijuela. Police initially arrested Horijuela and charged him with battery and telephone harassment, officials said.

Soon after, the girl told a school social worker that Horijuela sexually assaulted her.

Horijuela met the girl because her school bus drops her off in front of his house, police said. He befriended her and asked for her phone number. Police said he called her late at night and, after gaining her confidence, convinced her to meet him in the a stairwell of his apartment building when her parents were asleep.

Between April and late May, the meetings became increasingly sexual and Horijuela began sexually assaulting the girl, police said.

He was arrested June 24 and charged with predatory criminal sexual assault, police said.

Police are investigating whether Horijuela had more victims and said he uses several aliases including Jose Rodriguez, Jorge Origuela and Roberto Rodriguez.